Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-03
NO APPROPRIATION.
ACTION OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
ABOUT TIE LEE MONUMENT.
The Council Committee Chairmen Are
Told Of the City's Financial
Condition, &c.

A joint meeting of the Finance Com
mittee and the chairmen OF the several
Council committees was held last night
in the Chancery. Court room. Present
Messrs. Pizzini (chairman), Noble,
Staikc, Murphy. and Kaufman, and
Mr.. Otley, chairman of the Committee
on Relief of the Poor; Mr.. Crenshaw,
Committee on Streets Mr.. Cutchins,
Committee on Second Market; Mr..
Bland, Retrencbment and Reform Mr.
Parrish, Fire-Alarm and Police Tele-
graph Mr.. Bowden, Accounts and
Printing; Mr.. Parater, Elections.
oBJRcr OF THE MEETING.
The object of this joint meeting was
to give the Codncil committee chair
men an insight into the city's financial
condition, and to reque,t them TO use
economy and confne their committees
to the amolnts already appropriated to
them. The chairman (Mr. PizzinD did
tie talking, and in the course Of his
remarks he rqid that, with the excep.
ton Of the difficulty of not being able
to sell its 4 per celt. bo4ids at present,
the city's condition fnanciallyis better
than it has been for years that both
the floating and bonded debt has been
reduced considerably, bat owing to the
use of currelS funds for payments to
meet which bonds have been ordered
10 be sold. the comlAittee fluids
itself at present with q small
cash balance on hand, and that economy
was absolutely necessary.
BONDS ON HAND.
There are at present on band unsold
about $4,000 worth OF bonds, while
800. 600 of the current receipts Of the
city have been used to face payments
which the proceeds of the sale of bonds
was intended TO meet.
THE LEE-MoNUMENT APPROPRIATION.
After the chairmen retired the COM
miitee, with closed doors, considered
the application of Lee Camp fof Sl5,-
COO TO aid in defraying expenses Incl
dent to laying the cornerstone OF TIE
Lee monument. There was considera-
bic division on the subject, and free
expression of views was INDUCED in.
The condition of the city treasury and
other points we-e brought up, and it
was finally decided by a vote of 3 to 2
to return tie petition to the Council
with the recommendation that it be adj
versely acted upon.
THE MONEY MUST DE HAD.
That the committee should have seen
fit to act adversely on this proposition
will be generally res fetted. At the
meeting of tie Council Monday after
noon every possible efoIt will be made,
end it Is to be hoped with sue
cess, to secure the passage of
the resolution making the appro-
priation Notwithstanding the re-
commendation of the committee.
This is n matter of too great moment.
and one in which the city's interest Is
entirely too much at stake, for the
Council to be sticking over the paltry
sum aslcd for. As much was appro-
uriated on the occasion of the York
town centennial, certainly as much
yea, much mOre-is to be expected
on this occasion, and there should be no
hositancy about voting it. If TIE Cour-
oil cannot be induced to make the APP
preparation the people will see to 1t
that the money is had and will take 1t
out of their pockets.
The cornerstone IS to be laid on the
9th of October. About this there is
no shadow of doubS. Twenty thou
sand dollars is needed for decorations
and to provide for the entert inment of
invited guests. That this sum will be
raised there is no question.